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Black British Soldiers – The Forgotten Fighters

Black Soldiers in WW2

In the early years of the second world war, Britain made frequent requests for help from its colonies. One man to respond was Billy Strachan. Like most Jamaicans at the time he regarded Britain as his homeland, and enlisting it seemed a natural option.

“I went to the British Army camp in Jamaica to ask about being sent to Britain to join the R.A.F, but I was laughed at and told to find my own way there”.

he recalls.

“I then went to the Jamaica Fruits Shipping company, which had some boats coming from Britain four of the middle class white people fleeing from the war, and persuaded them to let me have a passage back for £15. I didn’t have £15, so I sold my bicycle and saxophone to raise the fair”.

On arrival in Britain Strachan had no idea how to enlist, and so he headed off to the Air Ministry in London.

“I hadn’t heard about the recruiting stations and the guards thought I was taking the Mickey when I said I wanted to join up. Luckily, a Hooray Henry, Officer type, overheard us and said: “oh you’re from Jamaica, one of our colonial friends. Welcome. I did geography at university and I’ve always been impressed by you West Africans.” Thanks to his supreme ignorance I was dragged in, and was eventually sent to the RAF unit in Euston for a medical.”

Caribbean Pilots in WW2

Billy Strachan went on to serve both as an Air Gunner and pilot for Bomber Command and was a member of the only crew of 99 Bomber Squadron to finish a tour of 30 trips alive.

Once the war ended many black servicemen felt that their efforts were one appreciated.

“It was as if it was okay but was to be over here while there was an emergency, but in 1945 we weren’t wanted any more,”

says Laurent Philpotts, Public Relations Officer for the West Indian ex-servicemen and women’s association.

After I was demobbed in Nottingham a Padre said to me: “When are you going home?” I was shocked; if a Padre could say that, what must everyone else to be thinking?”

Black Ex-Servicemen feel neglected

50 years on, nothing much has changed. Black ex-servicemen still feel neglected by the military establishment and believe they are not afforded the same privileges and facilities as veterans from the white Commonwealth countries. Last year they felt snubbed at not being included in the D-Day Commemorations, and it has only been through last-minute interventions from leading black figures, such as Bernie Grant, that has ensured invitations for the V.E.Day have been extended to the Gov. Gen. of Jamaica and the president of Trinidad.

The old black British soldiers have not been so lucky. Earlier this year and the West Indian ex-servicemen and women’s association was sent some forms inviting its members to apply for seating at the VE day commemorative events, but none has been successful. Unsurprisingly, the Association has decided to hold its own commemorative program. Since the vast majority of black and Asian veterans were fighting in the “Forgotten” war in Burma, Malaya and Africa, and most accounts of the war have been written from a Eurocentric perspective by white historians, there has been an inbuilt tendency to discount the contribution in their literature.

Yet, even in those books which focus on the campaigns in which black and Asian troops were involved, there has been a predisposition to be a little better role. Colonel Ismail Khan who served with the Indian Army in Malaya has particularly strong feelings about this.

“There is always the sense that the Indian troops weren’t quite as good as the British, and the writers have tended to easy to ignore their efforts or to contend them by attacking their fighting spirit or exaggerating the desertions.”

For those children whose grandparents ER either dead or living overseas, the opportunities for learning even an oral history are extremely limited. Many black and Asian ex-servicemen now recognise that they have a responsibility to write their own history.

One institution firmly behind such moves is the Imperial War Museum. Anita Ballin: the museums’ education officer, says:

“There is material on the black war effort here at the moment, but you have to look pretty hard to find it, and many people have asked for more information.” In response to such requests the museum has assembled in multimedia resource pack entitled to gather for use in schools and which will also be available through public libraries. Ballin hopes that it is just the first step. “In time I would like the Museum to stage either a special exhibition or for more material to be included in the permanent displays.”

Such efforts are more than welcome, but the black and Asian ex-servicemen realise that it will take a great deal more to shift the underlying attitudes.

During the war, and black people were still a comparatively rare sight in this country, the racism they encountered was minimal, but that soon changed in the post-war years. While the rest of Britain set about building a country fit for heroes, black people found that the country for which they had fought was denying them access to equal jobs and accommodation. “It seems as if no sooner had one ended and then another began,” says Laurent Phillpotts. “But just like the last war, it’s a battle we are slowly winning.”

23 thoughts on “Black British Soldiers – The Forgotten Fighters”

Hi i have read the above article with interest, i cannot undo the past but the present i can and will change. I am currently the Birmingham County Chairman of the Royal British Legion and for six months i have been very pro active with supporting the West Indian Regiments Standards and have included their participation at all of the Events being held in the City. I can say that fellow veterans have warmly received and recognised the efforts and sacrifice of the West Indian and Asian past and present service. This year the Standards have been paraded with the dignity and sombre reflection of past sacrifice. Next year i will be pushing forward and hope to have the West Indian Regiment Standards on duty at the Royal Albert Hall.
Keep up the good work

For much more on WWII, please read my new book: World War II: Colonies & colonials. This looks at military, financial and other contributions, the ‘Home Fronts’ in terms of political activism and jailings etc, both in the colonies (incl. India) and in the UK. It ends with the beginnings of the post-war struggles for independence.

because they didn’t see any action in EU on ground. only real sport been parts middle east Africa. they never allow man from other country’s onto there land. France still does it to day with there foreign legion

Looking back at the old timers i was taken back. I knew 1000’s of black join the forces but you never hear a thing. When i see old books with black people in it i get very emotional. I was in the army join up in 1973 it was a hard choice for me coming from a family of 7 in a 3 bed in Stockwell South London it was tuff. Carry out my Schooling in South london a school by the name of Kennington School in White Horse. I had a primitive education I get by.

My Days in the forces was good I enjoy learning new skills and put those skills to good use. But after that was over I felt let down, I had nowhere to turn, had no one in my corner. During the time in the forces I found a lovely and caring lady we was young and in love we decided to have a family she was in East London and I was in Ireland we had to work hard at the relationship, we had a son. I made it on my own pushing the army behind me, and got on with my life.

I am very disturb to here of these shocking stories of black servicemen.I joined the Army in 1962 in Barbados .Done my training in Hampshire and Warwickshire before being posted to Cyprus and then Germany.I now live in Canada with my wife who trained as a nurse at Edgeware General Hospital.I talk about the Army daily and all the good things that I received but these kind of stories are shocking .Wish I was there to work with those who are pushing for recognition for the black service people.

he ddint do anything big or great why would they talk about him? tons white guys they dont talk about them! if you want talk about you have to do something great. India guy British army attacked 3 Japanese troops got staved with a sword pulled killed 5 of them ran miles back to camp and made a report to the officer!! was first none britsh person get a high medal!

I am now just qualifying as a teacher and my aim in life is to provide a Black Curriculum. This gives a voice to the invisible and those marginalised by indirect and direct racism. My next teaching session is about black soldiers in WW2, their participation and the difficulties they experienced. It is never right to collude with racism in all its abhorrent forms, its time to stand up and be counted. Black soldiers men and women in the british forces have a right to their history as they would remember and document it. Not for the white privileged to tell it how they see it. Spread the word.

stfu with that white privileged shit! they dont talk about them because they didn’t do anything at all idiot. dont talk about all white boys every battle just big informants ones. whites from other countrys they hated and dont talk about or give credit to. how about this one talk about blacks in the WAFFEN SS

I’ve just read this as I was reading a article on my late grandfather….. and I am glad to say I was brought up in east London and have friends and family of every race…. and was honoured to meet many of his fellow comrades or brothers…. and all through my school days been educated enough to know how important every person and country was to making life as we know it happen….. and my grandad george ‘sandy’ ferris a commando who enlisted because his home life was so tuff didn’t talk much about the fighting but of the honour of the Gurkhas and the pilots of from the West Indies and the bravery of the Indian army….like a lot of important history it will be forgot or not remembered but to some of us your British heroes

I am an American retired black soldier. I came across your messages by luck. I wanted to obtain information regarding black soldiers serving in the military during WW2. I was very surprise to find very little info. I am sure blacks lived in Britain at that time. Were they allowed to serve? From my understanding, there was a large community of blacks living in England at that time and from my studies, England was in need are men for the war. So, where we’re the black men? American black military men did served in WW2 but not many. However, there is a history of their participation. If anyone can assist me in locating information regarding the Blacks that served in British military, please let me know. Thanks

Hi Charles, thanks for your comment. I’m sorry that you couldn’t find what you were looking for. There are a few articles on the site regarding black soldiers. The majority are focused on the instances of Black Britons. This category has the articles, but don’t forget to use the ‘Previous’ link at the bottom left. Hope you find something that interests you.

The amount of black British soldiers that were actually living in or from Britain during world war 2 was tiny. Don’t try to change history.
The colonial regiments were mostly in India or Malaya.
The teacher above who says it’s her life aim to achieve a black curriculum (whatever that is) is sadly indicative of the kind of lefty nonsense our kids are subjected to these days.

Muslim (If you really are and just not a troll), black people have been here since Roman times and possibly before that,
maybe you need to check the real history as there was a large contingent from the West Indies in the second world war as well as in the first. With regards to your lefty comment, don’t you think that school children should learn about the real unbiased history of the world?.

I encountered Billy Strachan in the 1970s when he was Chief Clerk Clerkenwell Magistrates Court in London. I found him a nasty piece of work , arrogant and a bully. Anything he said needs corroboration before being regarded as fact.

My uncle died today. He was an officer in Caribbean Regiment and spoke fondly of his time with the regiment.

Those who have a knowledge of military history will know that this regiment only existed for some three years.

The only discrimination encountered was on the demob cruise. The troopship went from one island to the next where the locals were welcomed home and the officers were entertained by the local big-wigs with speeches and banquets. In Trinidad there were objections made to the presence of black officers. So the civic reception, if it went went ahead, did so without the guests of honour viz any of the soldiers.